


Nights Like This

by NYS30



Category: Luke Cage (TV)
Genre: Boys Being Boys, Crack Fic, Crack Pairing, Gen, M/M, inspired by Alex's character in Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, paying respect and love to the oldies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:27:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29161137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYS30/pseuds/NYS30
Summary: Alex lets loose in Harlem's Paradise one night thinking he's alone.
Relationships: Alex Wesley/Darius "Comanche" Jones-possible, Shades Alvarez/Darius "Comanche" Jones-past
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	Nights Like This

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah I can blame this on the ShadyMariah discord fam for putting this idea in my head. Also John's character Simon in Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist!

Alex sang to himself as he moved around the floor. Harlem's Paradise was long closed, Mariah having already departed for the night with her shadow not too far behind. Who lately, had seemed to acquire his own shadow as well. Alex didn't know what the deal was with Shades and his newly released friend from prison, but if the looks that were being passed back and forth between the two were any indication, something was there beneath the surface.

But that's not any of his business.

Right now, he was just enjoying having the club to himself for a bit. With the lights down low, the sound of New Edition piping out over the speakers, and his pilfered bottle of Hennessy that he took as payment, he was in the zone. Stocking the bar wasn't normally one of his duties for the councilwoman, but he aimed to make her life easier in any way he could.

He two stepped over to the bar to take a sip from his drink, completely lost in his own world. He idly wondered if Mariah had ever stayed behind to similarly take advantage of an empty club. His next thought was that of course she wouldn't be here alone, Shades would naturally have stayed behind with her.

Alex swallowed his mouthful of Henny, liking the smooth way it eased down his throat as he thought about the councilwomans…. bodyguard? Boyfriend? Booty call? He was unsure as to when their relationship went beyond just acquaintances, but there was no denying that something was going on there. As unconventional as their relationship was, it seemed to be working for the both of them.

Until recently, that is.

Ever since Comanche, or Che as he liked to remind people, arrived on the scene, there was friction with the formerly happy couple. The tension that crept up whenever all three were in the same vicinity was heavy, and made all the thicker because no one wanted to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

That elephant being that Shades and Che definitely had something going on. Oh, maybe not currently, but at one time Alex would bet cash money that those two were more than just buddies.

Alex glided across the floor as he pictured the two in his mind. One slender and a man of few words, the other thick and formidable. Together they made quite the impressive pair. He stumbled mid-step as his mind supplied an image of what the two of them might have gotten into in their younger years.

"This what you do on your off time?" Alex jumped as the voice came out of the darkness. Whirling around he came face to face with one half of the duo that had distracted him.

Che stepped forward, "My bad, didn't mean to creep up on you." The smirk on his face indicated otherwise.

Alex cleared his throat, "I thought you left with..."

Che shrugged, "Yeah well, turns out I wasn't needed."

"So you came back here?" Alex asked incredulously. The club was a great place to hang out when it was packed with people, but there was no reason to come after it was officially closed.

"I forgot something upstairs." But he made no move to head to the stairs. Instead he walked across the floor and took a seat. Alex looked on as Che grabbed the Hennessy he had open on the bar and took a swig straight from the bottle.

"Help yourself." Alex muttered to himself.

"I will." Che grinned, big and wide and for a moment, Alex was struck dumb. Darius Jones was not necessarily his type, but there was no denying that he was a beautiful man. Alex turned away to pick up another box, there was no use in even contemplating going down that road, he was 99% sure that Che had it bad for his former fellow inmate.

He busied himself with restocking the bar, silently bopping along to the mix of music that continued to play over the speakers. Che had gone quiet, seemingly content to just sit and drink more of the Hennessy.

It was almost comfortable, Alex had let go of most of his discomfort at having Che in the vicinity (although that might have been the alcohol making its way through his system) and had begun to dance around the floor once more. The only difference was now he had an audience of one watching him.

_I, my, my, my, my_

When he heard the opening horns to one of his favorite songs, even Che's presence couldn't stop him from coming out behind the bar once more to let his feet take over.

_Oh I,_

_Can turn the gray sky blue, I_

"Oh, shit!" Che laughed, "What you know about this, prep school?"

_You see I can make it rain, when I want it to, oh I_

_I can build a castle from a single grain of sand, I_

"Look," Alex didn't pause in his grooving, "just cause I wasn't in the streets like you and Shades, don't mean I ain't got no soul."

_You see I can make a ship sail, on dry land tell 'em yeah_

_I'm unhappy with all the powers I possess, yeah_

"Nah, just no rhythm." Che countered.

Alex did stop at that, "What?" He asked indignantly,

_Girl you're the key to my happiness and I_

_I can't get next to you, babe_

"Oh you think you can do better?" He spun around as he taunted the other man.

_I, my, my, my, my_

_Oh I,_

"Actually, I know I can." Alex looked on in shock as Che got off the stool, took off his coat and did his own two step across the floor.

_I can fly like a bird in the sky, oh I_

_And I can buy anything that money can buy, oh I_

For such a big man, Che moved gracefully on his feet. He looked extremely at ease and comfortable in his own skin. Alex idly wondered if this was one of the first times' he'd had to cut loose since his release from prison.

_I can fly like a bird in the sky, oh I_

_And I can buy anything that money can buy, oh I_

Alex decided to see how good Che really was and upped the ante by jumping on the stage and grabbing the mic. He knew his voice wasn't Al Green good, but he didn't care, it felt good to just let his guard down a little and act a fool.

_Can turn a river into a raging fire, oh I_

_And I can live forever if I so desire, yeah_

Alex laughed as Che followed him on stage and took possession of the other mic and started his own off-key rendition.

_I'm unhappy with all the powers I possess, yeah_

_'Cause girl, you're the key cause I_

_Can't get next to you babe_

The two continued to trade lines throughout the song until coming to the end when Alex unexpectedly dropped to his knees to belt out the last note of the song. Che let out a "whoo" as he leaned on his mic stand, full on grinning at this point.

Alex took a second to catch his breath as he regarded Che, ""How's that for prep school?"

Che nodded thoughtfully, "Aight, I see you. You got a lil somethin." Alex watched as his grin faded as he took in Alex who was still on his knees before him on the stage breathing heavily.

There was an abrupt shift in the atmosphere as the song switched to a slower tempo one. Alex recognized it at Patti LaBelle's "If Only You Knew". Which was fitting, if you asked him. If Che only knew what Alex was thinking, he might not be still standing so close to him.

Although, if by the way Che's eyes drifted down to watch Alex lips as he wet them, what he was thinking might not be that far-fetched.

The moment was broken by the slamming of a door, and Alex turned to see Shades standing at the edge of the dance floor. Even from his position on the stage, Alex could tell Shades was not happy with what he'd walked in on.

"Hey man." Che lifted an arm lazily.

"You get lost?" The question was asked through clenched teeth.

Che shrugged, "I didn't think you noticed I was gone." He tossed back at Shades.

Looking back and forth between the two, Alex got the feeling that there was a whole other conversation taking place. Especially when Shades rolled his eyes and sighed before telling Che that they had to leave for a job.

Alex saw the struggle on Che's face before he willfully smoothed his expression into nonchalance. He hopped off the stage and sauntered to the bar to put his coat back on. He drained the last dregs of the bottle and tossed a salute to Alex, "See ya round, prep school." before walking out the door.

Shades followed at a more sedate pace, making sure to keep his eyes on Alex until he was out the door as well.

Alex finally let himself relax on stage, "What the fuck?"


End file.
